Student Aid Report: What Is It and How Does It Work?

The Student Aid Report (SAR) is what colleges see after you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application.

Students looking to attend an institute of higher education in the U.S., whether a college or career school, are eligible for various federal and state aid and scholarships from the schools themselves. SAR estimates what schools should provide you and what your family is expected to provide.

This last number, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), will be replaced in the 2024-2025 FAFSA with the Student Aid Index (SAI) as the key metric.

You can access your SAR online at the Federal Student Aid Website or request to receive a copy by mail. We’ll help you understand the essential parts of the form to communicate with colleges.

The four-digit Data Release Number (DRN) appears on the first page of the SAR. You’ll need to share this number if you want to authorize your school to amend your FAFSA.

The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is an index number that calculates your family’s wealth and what they’re expected to contribute financially to your education. The EFC is used to determine your eligibility for federal student financial aid. The formula will be updated in the FAFSA for the 2024-25 academic year.

SAR informs you whether you may be eligible for a Pell Grant and estimates an award amount. Like all other funds, whether and how much of a Pell Grant you may receive depends on individual schools. Need-based Pell Grants are the largest single fund for undergraduates.

If you are a continuing student and have outstanding federal student loans, the SAR will include a portion that details your balance and repayment schedule.

Student Aid Reports are generated quickly. Once a FAFSA application has been processed, a SAR is typically available to both the student and their chosen schools within a week.

Students can access SAR upon logging in to the same Federal Student Aid (FSA) account used to submit FAFSA. You can also request a mailed copy by calling the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Log in to the same Federal Student Aid (FSA) account used to submit FAFSA to find a digital copy of your SAR and make any changes. The system should flag any errors or omissions. If you filed a hardcopy FAFSA, call 1-800-4-FED-AID.

If you filed online, you will receive an email notification that your SAR is ready for you via a link. If you filed by mail, you will receive the report by mail.

Depending on whether you are receiving a digital or paper SAR, you will see the report either three days or up to two weeks after your FAFSA has been submitted.

The SAR estimates what colleges that receive federal funding should offer you based on your family’s finances. It tells you how much federal and state money you could get for school and whether you are likely to receive a Pell Grant.

If the amount of aid quoted in your SAR seems low, verify the information you submitted on the FAFSA is accurate. If everything is correct, then it’s still possible to negotiate for more. You can appeal to the financial aid offices of the colleges where you have been accepted. Both consider need- and merit-based appeals and may have criteria for special circumstances, such as loss of income, medical expenses, or natural disasters.

The maximum federal Pell Grant for the 2023-2024 school year is $7,395. Nearly 40% of undergraduate students receive some Pell Grant funding each year.

Page last reviewed: December 11, 2023.